RETIREMENT/PENSION PLAN

Career Firefighters: Must be a member of the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System to receive benefits. Beneficiary has three options for death benefit distribution: Total Distribution – receives 100% refund of member account balance and employer matching death benefit; Straight Life Annuity – receives lifetime monthly benefit from the member account balance and employer matching death benefit; and Partial Distribution Plus Pension – receives 100% of member account balance and monthly lifetime pension from employer matching death benefit. Under PERS, these are Police and Firefighter (P & F) Units that may be purchased with after-tax dollars.

EDUCATION BENEFIT – CHILDREN

Career Firefighters: Deceased or Disabled Public Safety Officer Grant Program pays all tuition and fees at a state institution for 12 quarters of undergraduate study and 12 quarters of postgraduate study. If attending a private institution, compensation will be based on expenses at the University of Oregon.

Must attend full-time, be an Oregon resident, and have financial need. Must re-apply annually.

The Public Safety Memorial Fund may award scholarships for an undergraduate education. Eligibility based partly on the financial need of the applicant. Children who are under age 18 at the time of death can apply for this benefit up to five years after high school graduation.

Scholarships may not exceed the highest tuition charged by a state institution of higher education for an undergraduate program.

Note:Scholarships are based upon available funds and may be limited by the anticipated demands on the Public Safety Memorial Fund.

NON-PROFIT OR PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS

Woodmen of the World will pay a $10,000 fraternal death benefit if a qualified member is killed while performing his or her duties as a non-military first responder. To be eligible for this benefit, an individual must be a member in good standing of one of our other benefits.

First Responders include firefighters, EMT/paramedics, police or a person performing a supporting role to such individuals.

Disclaimer: The material contained in the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Survivor Benefits website is not the result of legal research, but rather is based on a scan of public documents. We have made every effort to be accurate and timely, but errors may exist. The material on this website is advisory only and should not be cited as evidence or proof that a benefit exists or that our facts are accurate. Always consult the decedent’s fire department for benefits assistance, or a benefits’ attorney. If, in the course of your own research, you see errors of fact, or new benefit information, please pass this information along to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Public Safety Officers’ Benefits

A unique effort of the U.S. Department of Justice; local, state, tribal, and federal public safety agencies; and national organizations, the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits (PSOB) Programs provide death and education benefits to survivors of fallen firefighters, law enforcement officers, and other first responders, and disability benefits to officers catastrophically injured in the line of duty. The PSOB Office at the Bureau of Justice Assistance is honored to review the nearly 700 claims submitted each year on behalf of America’s fallen and catastrophically disabled public safety heroes and their loved ones. Visit www.psob.gov for details regarding PSOB’s death, disability, and educational assistance programs.

Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Designation of Beneficiaries

Find out why your all of the firefighters in your department should complete this very important form and keep it on file in your department.

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